1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for the separation of seeds from seed-containing fruit rag or the like. In particular, although not limited thereto, the invention relates to the separation of seeds from citrus fruit rag, which essentially consists of seeds, seed sacks and membranes to which the seeds adhere, and of albedo, and wherein the efficient separation of seeds enables the economical processing utilization of the separated seeds and of the fruit rag for further commercial applications.
Heretofore, subsequent to initial commercial processing, such as squeezing of the juices from various kinds of fruit, particularly different types of citrus fruits, the remaining fruit rag consisting of seeds, seedsacks, membranes and albedo was frequently employed as animal or cattle feed and the like and, in many instances, was even discarded as waste or used as fertilizer. More recently, it has been ascertained that the fruit rag serves in important commercial and nutritional application and is an important byproduct of the fruit growing and processing industry.
Thus, the separation of the citrus fruit seeds enables the seeds to be processed into edible oils, which are of commercial importance in the provision of a protein of an extremely high nutritional value. Edible oils recovered from fruit seed are quite compatible in their nutritional levels and are basically similar to other vegetable oils possessing relatively high contents of essentially fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic acids. Furthermore, the seeds upon being processed, also provide a high degree of flavor besides large amounts of edible oils.
The remaining fruit rag components, subsequent to the removal of the seeds can be processed and employed in the production, for example, for jams, jellies and different types of preservatives, or utilized as a highly nutritious animal or cattle feed additive and the like.
Accordingly, it is of extremely considerable commercial importance to be able to develop an economical method and apparatus for effecting the rapid and efficient separation of seeds from various types of fruit rag, especially citrus fruit rag, although other types of fruit, such as grapes and apples, and some types of vegetables, such as tomatoes, also readily lend themselves to the present invention.
In order to meet the demands of industry in providing for the rapid and efficient separation and removal of seeds from seed-containing fruit rag, in which the fruit may be constituted of essentially all types of seed-containing fruits, such as oranges and other kinds of citrus fruit, applies, grapes, and possibly some types of vegetables, such as tomatoes, the invention contemplates the provision of apparatus and method which facilitates a clean separation of the seeds from the fruit rag without breaking of the seeds, and which will avoid the necessity of addition of extensive amounts of water to such a fruit rag.
In order to accomplish the foregoing purpose, the present invention contemplates the provision of an apparatus in which an endless conveyor belt having a substantially horizontal upper run, and which is continually driven through the intermediary of a suitable drive arrangement, such as an electric motor, has at least one roller extending diagonally across the upper run of the conveyor belt in closely spaced relationship therewith forming a narrow gap therebetween, such that seed-containing fruit rag, upon being deposited on the upstream or infeed end of the conveyor belt, will be conducted into the gap between the roller and the belt, the spacing between the belt and roller being regulated to allow the fruit rag to pass through the gap and to continue its conveyance on the belt towards the downstream or discharge end of the conveyor belt; however, with the gap being sufficiently narrow to inhibit any seeds from passing therethrough. This will cause the seeds to be stripped or separated from the seed sacks and membranes of the fruit rag to which they adhere and to slide along the longitudinal axis of the diagonally extending roller towards one side of the conveyor belt, where the separated seeds as they fall off the belt are collected in a suitable collector receptacle. Such a particularly simple apparatus and method of separating seeds from fruit rag or the like allows for the highly efficient and rapid continuous separation of seeds from fruit rag in an economical manner.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Although numerous patents and publications are currently available in the technology directed to the separation of seeds or pits or other extraneous matter from fruits or vegetables, none of these publications appear to be applicable to the efficient separation of seeds from fruit rag in a manner analogous to that disclosed by the inventive apparatus and method.
Peters et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,564 discloses an apparatus for the separation of intermingled beets and stones without the addition of water, in which the beets and stones are deposited on an upstream end of the upper run of an endless conveyor belt having a surface which includes a plurality of upright fingerlike elements which are elastically bendable under the weight of heavy stones which are intermingled with the beets. As the beets and stones are conducted along the conveyor belt, rollers or brushes extending diagonally across the upper conveyor belt run, and which also include brush or bristle-like members radially extending therefrom, sweep the relatively light beets towards one side of the conveyor belt while permitting continual passage of the stones on the belt towards the downstream or discharge end of the belt. This type of apparatus structure requires the use of bristles and interengaging finger-like members in order to separate heavy stones from beets, and would not at all be adapted for the separation of small seeds from fruit rag.
Piepgras, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 1,190,950 discloses a seed separator apparatus in which weed seeds are separated from grass seeds by employing the dissimilarities in the shapes and surface of the different types of seeds, and in which a ribbed conveyor belt on which the seeds are deposited on the upper run thereof, are contacted by a brush member extending diagonally across the belt, and which will sweep one type of seed towards a receptacle positioned adjacent one side edge of the belt while permitting the other type of seeds to be conducted on the belt towards downstream discharge end of the belt. In this instance, the type of brush and inclination of the belt, and also the ribbed structure of the belt surface is not readily adapted for the separation of seeds from fruit sacks as contemplated by the present invention.
Peis U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,288 discloses an endless conveyor belt having a bristled surface structure which is contactable by at least one roller extending diagonally thereacross in order to separate stones from potatoes or other root vegetables. The structure and function thereof is substantially similar to that discussed hereinabove with regard to Peters et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,564, and this publication also is not readily applicable to the separation of seeds from fruit rag, especially citrus fruit rag.
Other apparatus and methods for separating different types of product components, such as vegetables and seeds, separating grains from chaff, and separating meat from bones, through the utilization of conveyor systems and cooperating rollers, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,090,486 Zebarth et al.; Perkins, 1,675,048; and Squire 2,503,852. However, none of these disclosures provide apparatus or methods which would be applicable to the removal of seeds from the seed sacks and membranes of fruit rag as disclosed and described herein.